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Bob Haney
"United States Social Security Death Index," index, : FamilySearch, Robert G Haney, November 25, 2004. Accessed March 13, 2013 | birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | death_date = | death_place = La Mesa, California | nationality = American | area = Writer | alias = | notable works = Aquaman Blackhawk The Brave and the Bold Metamorpho Teen Titans Unknown Soldier | awards = Alley Award, Inkpot Award }} Robert G. "Bob" Haney (March 15, 1926 – November 25, 2004) was an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons. Biography Early life and career Haney grew up in Philadelphia, where he read popular newspaper comic strips such as Prince Valiant and Flash Gordon, and was a regular listener of radio dramas. During World War II, he served in the Navy and saw action during the Battle of Okinawa. After the war, he earned a Master's Degree from Columbia University and then embarked on a writing career, publishing a number of novels under a variety of assumed names. In 1948, Haney entered the comic book industry. His first published comics story was "College For Murder" in Black Cat #9 (January 1948). From 1948 to 1955 Haney wrote crime and war comics for a number of publishers, including Fawcett, Standard, Hillman, Harvey, and St. John. DC Comics In large part due to the anti-comic book campaign launched by Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent and the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency in 1953, most of Haney's publishers went out of business in the 1950s. In 1955 he connected with DC Comics and his first DC credit was the story "Frogman's Secret!" in All-American Men of War #17 (January 1955). Thus began a long association with DC, which lasted almost thirty years, with Haney scripting just about every sort of comic DC published. Haney was the writer of the story "The Rock of Easy Co.!" in Our Army at War #81 (April 1959), the first appearance of Sgt. Rock. Haney and artist Lee Elias created the supervillain Eclipso in House of Secrets #61 (August 1963).McAvennie, Michael "1960s" in Dolan, p. 109: "In August's House of Secrets #61, writer Bob Haney and artist Lee Elias used a black diamond to transform Dr. Bruce Gordon into Eclipso." Haney frequently claimed to have co-created the Doom Patrol with Arnold Drake and worked with him on the first few issues, but Drake insisted that Haney worked on the first issue only, and that his only role in creating Doom Patrol was co-creating the character Negative Man. In 1964, Haney created the Teen Titans with artists Bruno Premiani and Nick Cardy. Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad teamed up in The Brave and the Bold #54 (July 1964) to defeat a weather-controlling villain known as Mister Twister.McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 111: "They were never given a team name when scribe Bob Haney and artist Bruno Premiani spun them against Mister Twister. However, this first team-up of Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad came to be classically regarded as the inaugural story of the Teen Titans." They subsequently appeared under the name "Teen Titans" in The Brave and the Bold #60 in July 1965, joined by Wonder Woman's younger sister Wonder Girl in her first appearance.McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 115: "Writer Bob Haney and artist Nick Cardy added another member to the ranks of the newly formed Teen Titans: Wonder Girl." After next being featured in Showcase #59 (December 1965), the team was spun off into their own series with Teen Titans #1 (February 1966).McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 116: "The Teen Titans earned their own series after successful tryouts in both The Brave and the Bold and Showcase. Scribe Bob Haney and artist Nick Cardy promptly dispatched Robin, Aqualad, Wonder Girl, and Kid Flash...as the newest members of the Peace Corps." The Metamorpho character was created by Haney and artist Ramona Fradon in The Brave and the Bold #57 (January 1965).McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 114: "Scribe Bob Haney and artist Ramona Fradon were truly in their element...Haney and Fradon's collaborative chemistry resulted in Rex Mason becoming Metamorpho." Haney stated in 1995 that "The most creative single thing I ever did was Metamorpho". The character was featured in his own title, also written by Haney, from 1965 to 1968. Metamorpho later appeared in a series of back-up stories in Action Comics #413-418 and World's Finest Comics #218-220 and #229. Haney and artist Howard Purcell created the supernatural character the Enchantress in Strange Adventures #187 (April 1966). The Enchantress appears in the 2016 live-action movie Suicide Squad, portrayed by actress Cara Delevingne. Haney was the writer of many of the issues of The Brave and the Bold including #59 (April–May 1965) which featured Batman's first team-up in the title.McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 115: "By issue #50, The Brave and the Bold developed into the ultimate team-up book. The Brave and the Bold #59 added one final element to the team-up theme, when writer Bob Haney and artist Ramona Fradon partnered Batman with Green Lantern." Haney scripted issue #85 (Aug.-Sept 1969) wherein artist Neal Adams updated Green Arrow's visual appearance by designing a new costume for the character.McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 134: "When writer Bob Haney paired Green Arrow with Batman...artist Neal Adams targeted the Emerald Archer for a radical redesign." Haney frequently disregarded continuity by scripting stories which contradicted DC's canon or by writing major heroes in an out-of-character fashion. Haney's final story of the series was a Batman and Kamandi team-up in issue #157 (December 1979). Among his contributions to the Aquaman mythos are the characters Tula introduced in Aquaman #33 (May–June 1967)McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 123: "Aqualad found romance under the sea when scripter Bob Haney and artist Nick Cardy introduced him to fellow young Atlantean Tula, also known as Aquagirl." and Nuidis Vulko in The Brave and the Bold #73 (August–September 1967).McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 125: "Aquaman advisor Dr. Vulko debuted in September's The Brave and the Bold #73 in a story by scribe Bob Haney and artist Sal Trapani." The Super-Sons, Superman Jr. and Batman Jr., were co-created by Haney and Dick Dillin in World's Finest Comics #215 (January 1973).McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 157: "Scribe Bob Haney and artist Dick Dillin introduced the DC Universe to an alternate timeline starring the World's Finest offspring in January's World's Finest Comics #215." Haney introduced Batman's older brother, Thomas Wayne Jr., in World's Finest Comics #223 (May–June 1974). This story was used a basis for a plot detail in the "Court of Owls" story arc in 2012. The House of Mystery's host Cain, a character modeled on writer Len Wein, was created by Haney with artist Jack Sparling and editor Joe Orlando. His later war comics work included the four page "Dirty Job," illustrated by Alex Toth, for Our Army at War #241 (February 1972), which has been described as Haney's "true masterpiece".Reed in "365 Reasons to Love Comics #142" He wrote the "Unknown Soldier" feature in Star Spangled War Stories in 1971 and 1972. He returned in 1977 and oversaw the series being renamed after the character.McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 172: "Writer Bob Haney and artist Dick Ayers had no intention of terminating the Unknown Soldier...allowing DC to rename the [Star Spangled War Stories] series after the character, starting with issue #205." He wrote the retitled series until its cancellation with #268 (October 1982). Haney's stories in the 1960s and 1970s, especially with the Teen Titans and the Super-Sons, often dealt with youth culture and current issues, but by the late 1970s and early 1980s, Haney struggled to produce material that DC's editors considered timely or contemporary. This led to clashes with the DC editorial staff and ultimately to his departure from the comics industry Animation In the 1960s Haney contributed scripts to The New Adventures of Superman and The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure cartoon shows; and in the 1980s, after leaving DC, wrote for several Rankin/Bass animated shows, including ThunderCats, Silverhawks and Karate Kat. Later life When comics and animation work petered out in the late 1980s, Haney turned to other forms of writing, including a book on carpentry. He wrote a few additional comics scripts for DC including Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1 (August 1999); Silver Age: The Brave and the Bold #1 (July 2000); and the posthumously published Teen Titans Lost Annual #1 (March 2008). His last few years were spent in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. Awards Haney's industry recognitions included the 1968 Alley Award for Best Full-Length Story ("Track of the Hook" in The Brave and the Bold #79, drawn by Neal Adams) and a 1997 Inkpot Award from Comic-Con International. Family Haney's brother-in-law was Ned Chase, the father of actor Chevy Chase. References External links * *"DC Profiles #11: Bob Haney" at the Grand Comics Database *Bob Haney at Mike's Amazing World of Comics *Profile and Photo gallery of Haney Category:1926 births Category:2004 deaths Category:American comics writers Category:American expatriates in Mexico Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:American television writers Category:Columbia University alumni Category:Golden Age comics creators Category:Inkpot Award winners Category:Silver Age comics creators Category:United States Navy sailors Category:Writers from Philadelphia